Monday, April 12, 2010

Bust out your library card and celebrate National Library Weekwith me! This is the 2nd annual celebration on the Food Librarian blog. Sometimes, I just gotta put the Librarianin the Food Librarian!

I know you are probably reading this on your own computer, but did you know that nearly 1/3 of the U.S. population over the age of 14 used the library's internet computers? As more companies only allow online applications (even if the job doesn't use computers), free internet access at the public library is one of our essential services.

I hope you take some time out this week to celebrate libraries and the library staff. Libraries are special places where you can find a book, DVD, music, story time, job announcements, research assistance, and free internet access. Stop by to enjoy a seminar, join a knitting group, or get help learning about your genealogy.

This is the Librarian Action Figure (modeled after real-life librarian and author Nancy Pearl).Don't laugh. How many other occupations have their own action figure?!Sadly though, the only action this librarian does is raise her arm to Shush. Sigh.

Of course I start the week with a Bundt. No. Big. Surprise. I now live close to a Bristol Farms (California grocery store that is really pretty and really expensive). Last winter I picked up their free magazine. And what caught my eye? Oh, yes, the Bundt on the Cover.

This bundt is easy to make and uses ricotta cheese. It is the first time I'm using ricotta in baking, and not a lasagna.

Get the book that has this yummy recipe. I just ordered it from Amazon and bought an extra copy for YOU!

Chef Set Page Tags (purchased from Girl of All Work) Aren't these the cutest flags ever? You can decorate your cookbook with these post-it notes.

To enter the Day 1 Giveaway, simply leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat (aka Random). Deadline: Monday, April 19, 2010 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Librarian action figure not included.

Good luck with the giveaway and come back tomorrow as we continue to celebrate National Library Week! - mary the food librarian

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep a 12-cup Bundt pan. (This is a big cake...Bristol Farm's magazine used the Bavaria Nordic Ware Bundt pan but that is a 10-cup pan. I didn't want to bake it in two pans so I used the original, classic 12-cup Bundt.)2. Combine together: flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.3. With the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar at medium-high until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).4. Add ricotta cheese and beat until smooth.5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Scrap down sides of batter after each egg.6. Beat in orange juice, vanilla and orange zest.7. With mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Scrap down the sides a few times. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed...but don't overmix.8. Pour batter into greased and floured (I use Pam with Flour spray) Bundt pan. Bake on the middle rack until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. It took my cake 55 minutes at 325 degrees. The instructions say "about 1 hour and 10 minutes" so please check early.9. Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes than depan onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before applying glaze.10. For the glaze, heat the marmalade and water in a saucepan until everything is liquid. Brush it over the cake - I used a brush to coat the entire cake, but you can also just place on top and let it run down the sides. Let glaze cool before serving.11. Like her book suggests, keep the cake in the Cake Keeper! Since I bring mine to work, it is gone by the afternoon.

Yay! I have been looking forward to National Library week! I need to do something nice for my friendly GU librarians this week. Maybe I should bake them this cake? It looks fabulous and I have a big tub of ricotta in my fridge.

I haven't been to Bristol Farms in years, but I have very fond memories of eating lunch there with my grandmother. Cake Keeper Cakes is a great book! I received it for Christmas and I love it.

OH, there is a Bundt involved. I am in.Ricotta is just great in cakes and this one looks very yummy. I was also going to ask you about the National Bundt cake day. Will you feature one month of new Bundt cakes again? I know it is still some month away but I just loved it so much last year.

I can't enter because I'm in the UK, but I just wanted to say how much I love that there's a librarian action figure! :) I use our local library constantly, I must have borrowed all of their cookbooks over the last few months.

Your cake looks gorgeous, I don't know why we don't see many bundt cakes over here, they're so much prettier than a regular round or square cake.

I've made muffins with ricotta, so I can tell this will be good. (But can I please have the action figure instead of the cake?)

I'm happy to celebrate librarians, and libraroes, and you. My life is immeasurably enriched by all three. (BTW, I was a librarian in college - kind of sort of - for a small private collection and my favorite thing about it was that the card catalog was handwritten and I got to file my penmanship with some very very old entries!

Your cake looks amazing. I've never baked something sweet with ricotta too. I need to go buy some ricotta now. Happy National Library week! I love libraries. I spent most of my childhood in libraries reading books, checking out books, doing the summer reading program. There's this quote written in front of my local library back home that is one of my favorites of all time, I don't know if you've come across it: "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library. ~Jorge Luis Borges"

Hi Mary- Happy library week! As the proud sister of a librarian (and a happy library patron), I'm feeling the love. Also the love of bundt cakes-- I made the Greek yogurt lemon one for Easter this year. Pretty and delicious!

I love that book, the recipes are so reliable and being obsessed with Bundt Cakes it's just perfect. I made this awhile ago but swapped the ricotta for buttermilk and added some dried cranberries http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisa_c/4308552974/) I'm sure using ricotta would probably have made for a richer cake, but it was tasty anyway.

You're amazing! A true librarian superhero indeed. Not only do I love cake, libraries, and labels, I'm now inspired to celebrate National Library Week with appropriate fanfare. I think I will go on a feltboard making marathon.Thanks for the ideas.

So after your 30 days of bundts last fall, I asked for a bundt pan for Christmas. And of course one of the first recipes I tried was one from the 30 days: Chocolate marbled banana bundt cake. It was delicious!

I have been drooling over this ricotta bundt cake since I saw it this afternoon...I LOVE ricotta, and I think I need to make this cake...and I think I need this book too, which I'd love to win a copy =P but it's going on my amazon wish list regardless...thanks for stopping by my blog, let me know how the energy bars turn out if you get a chance to make them. They've been very tasty and hit the spot for a mid-afternoon snack to curb the hunger without being too filling. Have a happy National Library Week! I heart my local public library branch--it's got the biggest cookbook section I've ever seen in my life!

I followed your month of bundt cakes last year; I don't know how you kept it up for a whole month as that's a LOT of cake! This bundt looks delicious. I've been looking for cake recipes that use ricotta or mascarpone so I can figure out how to adapt their use to other cake and bar recipes. The cookbook looks wonderful..I love cakes showcased in pretty cake stands.

Mrsblocko (Comment #28): I don't know if cottage cheese would work. My ricotta was very thick and had no liquid so if you try it, please drain the heck out of the cottage cheese. Good luck and let me know how it works out! - mary the food librarian

I can't enter the giveaway because I'm in Canada, but I wanted to let you know that I made this fantastic cake today - I can barely breathe, it looks so divine, LOL. I posted a photo on my cooking blog - thank you SO MUCH, Mary, for posting this amazing cake - I can't wait for supper so I can have a taste, LOL!! Good luck to everyone in the contest!

I HIGHLY doubt that I'll win these tags, but I MUST HAVE THEM!! Even if I have to buy them. But winning would be suh-weet!! Happy Library Week!! I hope you get extra special goodies and smiles and warm hugs from all your favorite people :)

The recipe looks good and I will try it. I don't know about using ricotta, but I have been making a chocolate cookie recipe using cottage cheese for many years that’s wonderful. Maybe it could be substituted.

Cake Keeper Cakes is a great little book, I'll have to look for this recipe. I made the Pumpkin Poundcake, doubled the recipe for a bundt leaving out the addins, and it was a hit. Also the Quickest Yeast Coffee Cake (not sure of the exact title) and the double chocolate bundt...

As a recently retired library director, I am thrilled to have found this blog. While I was working I tried to cook at least one new recipe a week, now I can attempt one a day. I just happen to have ricotta in the refrigerator. I also have a Nancy Pearl action figure.

I'm an elementary school library media specialist. I've been having activities for students to celebrate School Library Month and National Library Week. The bundt cake sounds like a nice treat for teachers! Thanks for the recipe!

I finally just bought myself a bundt pan and now I can't stop making bundt cakes! I'm definitely bookmarking this recipe - sounds yummy! And that cake book looks very promising - I may have to check it out even if I don't win the random draw. :)

One of the best pound cakes I have tried! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I have tried making this last night for a little house warming party, and it was definitely at hit during our dessert. It went really well with a cup of hot coffee made from one of my coffeemakers Great post and thanks for sharing !